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Keeping Your Identity and Passwords Safe
With the recent breach of security at Sony Online Entertainment, it prompts each of us to review our own personal security measures. While not all of these suggestions are practical for everyone, having a consolidated list helps insure you don't leave any port-holes open for thieves to slip in through. (Please feel free to add any suggestions in the form of a comment at the bottom of the page and we'll get it added to the right spot) Thanks to all of the advancements in technology, we are forced to look for new ways to manage our money in order to protect our assets and ourselves. Unfortunately, there are a number of dishonest individuals out there who strive to steal our personal information, and they are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the methods that they use to rip us off. In order to adequately protect our identities and our financial information, it is imperative that we follow these guidelines: PASSWORD SECURITY TIPS Long and complex passwords are safest. #Think of something meaningful to you. #Start with a sentence or two (about 10 words total). Use the first letter of each word, and turn your sentence(s) into a row of letters. #Add complexity by making only the letters in the first half of the alphabet uppercase. #Add length with numbers by putting two numbers that are meaningful to you between the two sentences. #Put a punctuation mark at the beginning of the password and a symbol at the end. #Change passwords frequently. #Never write passwords down. #Test your password with a password checker. A password checker evaluates your password's strength automatically. #Try this secure password checker from Microsoft: secure password checker IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION TIPS 1. FRAUD ALERT - Set a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus: Experian, Equafax and TransUnion. This is free to do. All you have to do is call one of the bureaus or visit their website and answer the questions. You don’t even have to speak to a person. The alert is then passed from the bureau you contacted to the other two — you don’t even have to contact the other two, it’s done for you. The alert is good for 90 days and lets credit issuers know that you may have been the victim of fraud and that they should request additional information or documentation before issuing credit. It doesn’t stop the issuance of credit but it does, if followed correctly by the issuer, cut down on incidents of identity theft. You can renew the alert every 90 days. 2. Remove your name from pre-approved credit card offers and other junk mailings. Contact Opt-Out Prescreen and Direct Marketer’s Association to be removed from many junk mailing lists. The DMA is the largest database used by solicitors, so opting out with the DMA greatly reduces junk mail. Read the privacy policies of companies you do business with and find out how to let them know that you don’t want your information shared. If you get junk mail with a prepaid mailer, you can stuff their materials into the envelope and write, “Remove me from your list” on the material. This usually works, although it may take awhile. Make certain when doing business online that you uncheck any boxes that say, “Contact me with future offers,” or similar. Many websites pre-check these for you in the hopes you won’t notice, leaving it to you to opt out of their crap. 3.' Order your free credit reports and set up a monitoring cycle'. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You get these reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Only use this site. Others that sound similar require you to pay. But don’t request them all at once. Since you can get one per year from each service, you can request one every four months to keep a constant eye on your credit. So, for example, if you request from Equifax in January, wait until May to request one from TransUnion. Then request one from Experian in September. Then, when January rolls around, you request from Equifax again and keep the cycle going. This means you’re seeing your credit report once every four months which lets you catch potential problems quicker than if you look at it only once a year or less often. 4. Keep records of your credit card numbers, bank accounts, insurance cards, and driver’s license information (and contact information for each agency) separate from your wallet or purse. Make photocopies of sensitive items that you carry and keep them in a secure location separate from your wallet. If your wallet or purse is stolen, you can quickly contact each bank and card issuer and notify them of the theft so they can shut down your accounts and open new ones. 5. Use a cross-cut shredder. Shred anything with your SSN, bank account numbers, address, or other personal information. Be especially sure to shred pre-approved credit card offers and balance transfer checks. Get a cross-cut shredder or “confetti” shredder because these reduce your papers to tiny bits that are almost impossible to put back together. Some shredders make strips which are too easy for a thief to put back together. Online documents should be deleted so that no trace is left, as well. 6. Freeze your credit. This isn’t free, but the peace of mind is worth it. It is similar to a fraud alert except that it cannot be ignored by a lender. A fraud alert merely tells a lender that you may have been a victim of fraud and that they should request proper identification and verification before issuing credit. However, a freeze locks your credit file so that it cannot be viewed at all unless you “unfreeze” it. There is a fee to freeze your credit and another fee when you want to unfreeze it, so if you’re actively pursuing loans this option isn’t for you. Freezing your credit also means that you can’t be spontaneous about getting credit. If you’re shopping and see a great same as cash deal or want a store credit card, you’ll have to wait because you’ll have to unfreeze your credit before you can apply. Freezing and unfreezing aren’t instant — there are a few days of processing time — so be prepared to wait if you need credit in a hurry. 7. Don’t let your credit or debit cards out of your sight. It is common for restaurants to take your card away and run the payment at a register out of your sight. Unfortunately, some servers are dishonest and run your card through a “skimmer” that captures the card’s information so a new one can be made. Bring cash to restaurants that you know will take your card away. Also don’t let a clerk in a store take your card out of your sight. Some dishonest clerks will say they have to get manager approval of your transaction, then go to a back room and skim your card. 8. Be wary of ATM’s that look altered. Thieves will attach skimmers to ATM slots to capture card information and PIN’s. You may notice that the slot looks lumpy or not firmly attached to the machine, or as if there is another piece of hardware attached to the front. If it looks fishy, don’t use it. This is less likely to happen at bank ATM’s since they are more aware of the problem and may be more religious in checking their machines. However, it can happen anywhere so be vigilant. 9. Protect your PIN. When at an ATM, cover the keypad with your hand and do the same as you tap in the information on pads in stores. In a store you can avoid entering your PIN altogether by running the transaction as “credit” rather than “debit.” It doesn’t change anything about how your money is withdrawn, only that you don’t have to enter your PIN. 10. Don’t get caught by phishing scams or phone scams. You hear it all the time, but it bears repeating: Never give personal information out over the phone unless you initiate the call and never enter information into a form you reached by a link in an email. Always type the website directly into your browser and navigate from there. If in doubt, call the company that sent the email or made the phone call and ask if it’s legitimate. 11. Spring for an unlisted phone number. Having an unlisted phone number cuts down on the number of phone solicitations you receive and cuts down on people just pulling a phone number and address out of the book and giving it as their own. It also cuts down on some junk mail solicitors that compile their lists from phone listings. 12. Don’t give out your SSN unless you have no other choice. Many places that ask for your SSN (except banks or those issuing credit) will accept another identifier if you ask. Many are aware of the problems of identity theft and may be willing to work with you. If asked for your SSN, ask why they need it and if there is an alternative and, if you’re not satisfied with the answer, consider whether or not you’re willing to take the risk. 13. Don’t carry anything with your SSN in your wallet or purse unless you are going to need it that day. If your wallet or purse is stolen it’s a pain to cancel and reissue credit cards and bank accounts, but it’s so much worse if the thief gets your SSN in the bargain. While you’re at it, purge your wallet of any credit cards, insurance cards, or other identifying information you don’t use on a regular basis to cut down on the items a thief has access to. 14. Protect your computer. Install antivirus and anit-spyware protection on your computer to prevent anyone from installing malicious software that can capture your personal information or transmit it to another party. Make certain websites are secure before entering personal information (look for “https” in the web address and/or a lock icon in the browser window). Don’t enter personal information when using public computers at schools, universities, libraries, coffee shops, etc. You don’t know what kind of protection, if any, they have in place. 15. Don’t put your SSN, phone number, or driver’s license number on your checks. In the old days the advice was to put this information on checks to speed processing and verification. But now this is just more information that can be used against you if your check goes awry. Only put your name and address on a check. If the person taking the check requests additional information, you can give it if you feel comfortable (but don’t give the SSN — they don’t need that), but otherwise don’t give it out. 16. Monitor your accounts online. Many banks and credit cards now offer online access to your accounts. Take advantage of this and monitor your accounts daily or every other day to check for suspicious activity. This gives you a chance to quickly catch a thief before too much damage is done. If you only wait for the monthly statement, you may be too late. 17. Sign up for e-billing and e-statements. Receiving bills and account statements electronically cuts down on the chances of someone intercepting your information in the mail, either through intentional theft or because your mail was delivered to the wrong place. 18. Buy a safe. Keep sensitive documents (tax returns, bank statements, passports, Social Security cards, etc.) in a safe. If your home is broken into, a safe may keep your information out of the wrong hands. Alternatively, you can rent a safe deposit box at your bank but this can be inconvenient if you need the documents and the bank is closed. And don’t keep documents any longer than necessary. Shred or burn statements, tax returns and old bills when they are no longer needed. 19. Be careful with your mail. Opting out of junk mail and signing up for e-billing and e-statements where possible will greatly cut down your risk of mail-related identity theft, but you can go further. Don’t leave sensitive outgoing mail in your mailbox for pickup. It can easily be stolen while you’re not looking. Take it to the post office. If you’re going to be out of town, either have your mail held at the post office or have a trusted friend pick it up. Don’t let it pile up in the box where thieves can get to it. Retrieve your mail as soon as possible. If you aren’t home when the mail comes, get it out of the box as soon as you get home. Don’t leave it there overnight. You might also consider a locking mailbox. These are designed so that they can be opened and closed once for the mail delivery, but after that they must be opened with a combination or a key and then reset for the next day’s delivery. 20. Don’t leave personal information out in the open. More and more you’re hearing stories about people who had their identity stolen by contractors or delivery people who came to their home. Maybe they left their checkbook out in the open, or an old bank statement, or an insurance claim with their SSN on it. However it happened, the contractor picked up the information or copied it while the homeowner wasn’t looking and then stole their identity. If you’re having work done or deliveries made, make certain that any compromising information is out of sight and preferably locked up. And be sure to keep an eye on the people who are in your home. 21.' Encrypt files and lock up documents' - Any important records that need to be kept should be kept under lock and key, which means in a safe or lock box. Online documents and vital information should be password protected or stored in encrypted files. Windows allows you to create a password protected zip file for free. I also recommend using Roboform, a password management software program that keeps your passwords organized and protected. We put this together in short notice and late at night, so if you see duplicate info/typos etc or you have any other great tips to use, please let us know. Thanks. Category:Browse